KITE-flying is banned in Punjab and the Federal Capital for understandable reasons but what people witnessed on Friday amounted to making mockery of the law as the ban was openly flouted with fanfare.
It was due to the dereliction of duties on the part of the local administration of Rawalpindi that a boy lost his life and about two dozen people sustained injuries during celebration of Basant.
Punjab Chief Minister is reported to have sought a report from the local administration on flagrant violation of the ban but it is a futile exercise as avoidable damage has already been done.
The festival was not celebrated indoors but on rooftops and violators could have been taken to task easily but police acted as silent spectators.
Kites and strings were openly sold and no action was taken against the sellers and similarly, instances of incessant aerial firing were reported from different parts of the twin cities.
There are also reports that the Government deliberately kept its eyes close to preparations for celebration of the festival in view of the economic and entertainment aspects of the activity but who is responsible for loss of lives and injuries.
Of course, police made some arrests and confiscated kites and rolls of chemical strings but the level of the crackdown was too low to make any positive impact.
Apart from the district administration and police, it is also the responsibility of the parents to keep a check on the activities of their children as they are the ultimate sufferers.
There have also been scuffles between the police and Basant enthusiasts, which should be a source of concern for parents as it shows we are not bringing up our children as law-abiding citizens.
